To blog or not to blog....

A compilation of the thoughts in my brain, the questions I have and the journey of life. Not meant to educate, but merely to entertain and (hopefully) initiate some good discussion. Comments are welcome...come join the conversation.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Disproving the carrot sticks and rice cakes myth

I'm a recipe cook, not a "make it up as I go" kind of cook, and I think that following a recipe gives me a weird sense of pleasure (especially when the meal comes out as planned instead of a burning, smelly hunk of yuck). There is something about putting together a series of pre-measured ingredients to make a finished product that speaks to the control freak/planner/organizer in me. I love measuring cups, measuring spoons...all little pieces of the puzzle that if I use them right, I'll almost always get something I'm happy with. A recipe is like a road map to culinary happiness and I love maps. And plans.

Given my weight loss journey over the years as I described in The emotional side of weight loss, I've come to love the process of cooking healthy and seeking out new recipes that help me do that. I love the ability to make something that tastes "bad for you", but really isn't. I love the look of surprise on J's face when I tell him that the very thing he's eating (and enjoying) comes from a WW recipe. I love being able to eat good food and still achieve my goals (further disproving the age old adage that weight loss is about carrot sticks and rice cakes). And I love to research things. When I first started cooking, the Internet was still in it's "infancy" stages (okay, maybe it was a toddler b/c I'm not "that old" contrary to S's belief) and the resources for cooking healthy were few and far between. Today, it's a veritable wonderland of resources and I've made some of my best meals from recipes found on sites/blogs. But, while some foods have been winners, some have been "not well received in my house" (which I think is a kinder, gentler way of saying "losers"), here are just a few of the sites where I've gotten inspiration:

The creative people on these blogs/sites make it easier for us "non-creative cooks" to prepare and enjoy great tasting food and I thank them!

And one site that must be mentioned even though it's not a WW site. The recipes on here are just too good not to mention it. Plus, it uses a slow cooker which is my favorite way to cook because it means I'm not scrambling at 6pm with cranky kids to get food on the table. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ I've found that many of the recipes can be modified to make them WW friendly, so that gets a thumbs up from me. :-)

The Cooking Light Complete Cookbook is my go to recipe book. The only thing I generally don't use CL recipes for is baking. I also use the myrecipes site when I'm looking for something not in the book. Over the years, there have only been a hand full of recipes that we haven't like.

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About Me

Mom to 2 amazing girls, wife, friend, daughter, sister, runner, cook (sometimes "short order"), baker, reader, aspiring activist about the state of food in America and the impact media has on children. Dreaming of traveling, missing my sanity and wondering what to do with the rest of my life. Migraine sufferer, Unitarian, over-committer, planner, GS Troop Leader